Is Porcupine, SD a Good Place to Live?
Porcupine is a small town of 1,021 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $18,750 and a 35.1% unemployment rate.
Strengths: Porcupine's profile is close to national averages across most measures.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Porcupine is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Porcupine city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Cost of living data is based on the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for the Porcupine metro area.
| Metric | Porcupine, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | N/A | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,071 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 74.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $18,750 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Porcupine is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Porcupine is served primarily by Pahin Sinte Owayawa. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22.1:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Porcupine, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Pahin Sinte Owayawa | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 22.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 3.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 64.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Porcupine sees average highs of 36.7°F in January and 87.9°F in July, with 19.9 inches of annual precipitation and 45.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Porcupine, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 36.7°F |
| Average High — July | 87.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 19.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 45.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Porcupine, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,021 | — |
| Median Age | 23.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 35.1% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 29.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 41.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 11.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Porcupine
Porcupine, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: